Limited response to bids for structural repairs of Kaleshwaram project barrages

Only five organizations have submitted technical bids for repairing the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. Despite a limited response, officials are encouraged by the quality of the bids, which will now undergo evaluation

Hyderabad: Only five organizations have submitted technical bids to address the structural issues of the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla barrages of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

While the submissions include designs and rehabilitation plans, the number of responses from the engineering and academic communities has been limited, falling short of the expected participation. The State government had issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) earlier this month, casting a wide net to attract reputed institutions for the project.

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However, with the submission deadline closing on Saturday at 5 pm, officials were met with a modest turnout when opening the entries. The bidders included RV Associates, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Chennai, a Spanish firm in a joint venture, and Japan’s Nippon Engineering Consultants, bringing the total to just five, a number that has raised eyebrows given the project’s significance and the urgency of its repairs.

“However, we are encouraged by the quality and diversity of responses,” a senior irrigation department official said.

These firms have demonstrated a clear understanding of the technical challenges involved. The bids will now undergo an evaluation process, with shortlisted candidates to be sent to the State government for approval. A subsequent tender for financial bids from qualified entities will follow. But the long-drawn process has left farmers in the State frustrated over the delayed restoration efforts.

The EOI required proposals strictly aligned with NDSA guidelines.